Piano.



T; P. BROWN.

PIANO. APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 29', 1909. I

1,019,127. Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE,

THEODORE I. BROWN, F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOIt TO SIMPLEX PLAYER ACTION COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS.

PTANO.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

Application filed March 29, 1909. Serial No. 486,385.

1 '0 all whom it may 002%(16772/ I Be it known that I, THEODORE P. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vorcester, in the county of Vorcester and State of Massachusetts} have invented a new and useful Piano, of which the following is a specificatiom V i This invention relates to pneumatic musl cal instruments.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a practicable means for regulating the strength of. the blows of the hammers in such a way that when they are set so as not to give a blow of full extent or range, this of itself will prevent the striking pneumatics being fully expanded so that the modulation will be due in part to this fact.

Further objects and advantages ofthe invention will appear hereinafter.

ing drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional transverse section of one,embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 2 is a side view of the wippen.

In piano constructions so far as I am aware, when a movable hammer rail has been employed for modulating the striking effectof the hammers, the striking pneumatics, being loosely, that is, not positively, connected with the hammers, would always be expanded and then collapsed to the same extent when a modulated blow was to be delivered as when one of full force was desired. This largely neutralizes the effect of the ordinary modulating attachments, and this invention has for one of its objects the rovision of means whereby the striking 4 orce of the striking pneumatics will be-regulated by the regulation of the length of the stroke of the hammers, thus producing a thoroughly effective modulating device. The striking pneumatics are directlyconnected with the wippens which operate .he hammers, in such a way that all moti s of the hammers are positively transmitted to the movable leaves of the striking p eumatics so that when the hammers are held nearer the strings when ready to strike, the pneumatics will be partially incapacitated for causing the hammers to move with full 1 striking efi'ect.

The drawing shows the invention applied to a form of instrument in which tubes or channels 24 lead to secondary pneumatics 240 for controlling the striking pneumatics Reference is to be had to the accompany- 25, each of which is connected by a vertical rod 26 directly with a wippen 27 which operates a hammer 28 in any usual or desired manner. The rods are connected by means of nuts 32 both above and below and are connected with the movable leave 29 of the striking pneumatics similarly by jipper and lowernuts, r

The hammers preferably are adjusted to- :ward the strings to modulate the tone by means of a pivoted hammer rest rail 37 adapted to be operated by mechanism 38 under the control of a lever (not shown). On account of the positive connection of the rods 26 with the movable leaves of the pneumatics and with the wippens, and the adj ustment of the action to prevent lost motion, :the operation of the lever not only moves the rest' rail and hammers toward the strings to shorten the stroke, but this motion of the hammers pulls on the bridles l0, bridle wires 41, and wippens 27, and partially collapses the striking pneumatics, which prevents their actuating the hammers with full strik ing efl'ect. Therefore the effect of the striking pneumatics will not be partly expended in'neutralizing the effect of the ad'ustme'nt of the hammer rest rail but both e cats will cooperate to produce the desired result-so that the rest rail does not. have to be moved so near the strings for any desired modulating eifectand the pianissimo effects are clear and distinct. lVhile I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, I am aware that many modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited to all the iletails of construction shown and described,

ut I

What I do claim is 2-- 1. In a piano, the combination of striking pneumatics, hammers, a movable hammer rest-rail, means for adjustin the rest-rail to decreasethe length of stro e of the hammers, a positive connection between each hammer and its striking pneumatic, whereby the motion of the pneumatic is communicated accurately to the hammer, and the motion of the hammer in either direction is communicated accurately and. positively to the movable leaf of the striking pneumatic, so that the adjustment of the hammer restmii will partially collapse the striking pneumatios to a corresponding degree whereby the striking effect of the hammers will be reduced both by the position of the hem mer i 'est-raii-a11d by, the condition of the neumatics.

f). In a, piano, the combination of striking neumatics, hammers, a movable hammer restaeii, means for ajushing the rest-raii to decrease the length of stroke of the heminers, and for manually (lfil'l'i'lfliiillg' the coiiepsing oi the striking pneumatic, end a positive connection between each hammer and its striking pneumatic, whereby the inoeien of the pneumatic is eoinmunieetedecon rately to the hammer, and the moi'ion or me hammer in eipher direction is communicateii' positively to the movable leaf of the striking pneumatic, so ihat the acijustment of the hammer rest-rail will partlelly col'iapse the" striking neumatics to a corresponding degree, whereby the striking efi'eet of the hammers will be reciueed bot-11 by the position of the hammer rest-rail and by the-condition of the pneumetics.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sei .xny hamlhin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HEUDORE P. BRUWN. Witnesses ALBERT E. FAY,

C. I11 Wesson. 

